Leave your brain at home and you will love this film

Rating: 8/10 (14 October 2013)

This film is a successful blend of Japanese mecha and American hero movies, although I personally am not a fan of either. Therefore the fact that I liked it has to mean something.
First thing you have to do in order to enjoy the film, though, is leave out logic, critical thinking or any knowledge of physics and/or biology. This is not a movie about real life, so deal with it. Once you do that (bring nothing to the drift, so to speak) you will probably enjoy the film because it is really well done and lots of fun.
The plot is simple: on the bottom of the Pacific ocean there is a dimensional rift through which giant Godzilla like monsters are coming through. The human solution is to build giant humanoid robots and punch the monsters to death. Yeah, I know. In a way, it is a sort of Top Gun with interdimensional alien monsters rather than Russians. Also the main character is impossible not to like: he is heroic, but also thoughtful and calculated, so completely different from Maverick.
As usual, Idris Elba is a supporting character who by his selfless actions saves the world, then dies and the beautiful Caucasian lead gets all the credit. A tip of the hat to the Japanese origins of the mecha mythos, the female lead is Japanese, although she doesn't do much. Other known actors have small roles, to my chagrin. Ron Perlman plays as well (stay until the credits to see a final scene with him). The scientists are great, although perhaps their geekiness is a bit over the top and unnecessarily so.
The special effects are almost flawless and, combined with heroic music and bar fight action scenes enlarged times a million, makes it almost impossible not to have fun. Heed my advice and do not think of solutions to the problems presented in the film, or you'll feel like the guy in the Shark Pool trailer. Just go with the flow. I find it ironic that in order to enjoy the film most you must follow the instructions given to the Jaeger pilots. I do hope that was intentional, if a bit cynical.
Bottom line: I was sure I was not going to enjoy it and I was very wrong. My head still buzzes with alternative scenarios in the same conceptual world, but the path that Guillermo del Toro took was both crowd pleasing and respectful to the feel of Japanese mecha, thus I have no quarrel with it at all. So go watch the film.